Portable booth



9 9 m m 6 n. u I. 0 e t n B t a P .um M 50 NB E L .5 A T .0 J0 P 1% 5 6 2 6 0 N (Application med Feb. 8, 1898.

(No Model.)

2 Sheets8heei l.

INVENTW? ans WITNESES: I 4% O 552,

No. 626,753. Patented lune l3, I899. J. W. ERNEST.

PORTABLE BOOTH.

(Application filed Feb. 8, 1896.

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

WITNESS: INVENTOR THE uonms vn'sns ca. monuma, wAswma-rzm. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JUAN W. ERNEST, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

PORTABLE BOOTH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 626,753, dated June 13, 1899. Application filed February 8, 1896. Serial No. 578,493. (No model.)

To (all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JUAN w. ERNEST, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Portable Booths, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of portable voting booths or tents described in my former patent, No. 523,141, and has for its object the production of a new and improved type of portable voting-or other booth or tent.

My invention consists, mainly and broadly, in the combination of a frame of any desired construction, which comprises a swingingdoor carrier with a detachably-secured flexible covering that forms walls of the booth or tent and is supported in part by the frame and in part by the swinging-door carrier, so that the latter portion of the covering forms the swinging doorof the booth or tent.

The accompanying drawings form part of this specification,in which like letters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one of my voting-booths extended ready for use. Fig. 2 is a view of the top iron or circuit which holds the upper end of the legs in place and supports the canvas or other covering. Fig. 3 is a view of the desk and its cleats and the swinging iron shown at the top of the door in Fig. 1. Fig. at is a view of the desk and swinging bar, the same as Fig. 3, and with the legs and canvas folded and buckled within the straps and represents the booth as packed for shipment. Fig. 5 is a top perspective view of desk and shows another mode of attaching it to the legs. Fig. 6 is a View of the swinging bar at the top of the door. Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10 are perspective views of legs with different attaching devices. of the legs and a rope attaching them together. Figs. 12 and 13, respectively, are perspective views of one of the angle-irons and a bolt used to attach the legs and desk. Figs. 14 and 15, respectively, are perspective views of an an gle-brace and socket to be used together for rapidly attaching and detaching the legs and desk. Fig. 16 is a perspective view of a wire hook I have especially made for detachably attaching the canvas to the rod. Fig. 17

is a view of top tie frame or circuit to be used Fig. 11 is a view when only three legs are used, and Figs. 18 and 19 are detail views.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred form of my invention, which form may be varied, if desired, in many details without departing from my invention, the legs A are formed with a tenon on one end, as indicated in the drawings at N, and the transverse bars or cleats O are fastened near the ends of the desk D, a portion of said cleats projecting in front of the desk. The loop or circuit S S is preferably quadrangular and is preferably formed of an iron or steel rod and with small loops or eyes 0 at the corners. the rod are fastened together, preferably by welding. \Vhen only three legs are to be used, one of the small loops 0 should be placed midway between two corners.

To hold the booth or' tent frame together and to brace it laterally, metal angle-braces, formed at nearly right angles, (see Fig. 14,) are fastened by one of their ends to the ends of the cleats O, as indicated at I, Fig. 3; or if only three legs are to be used one of the anglebraces should be fastened near the center at the back edge of the desk. The other ends of said braces are adapted to fit into tapering metal socket-s M, Fig. 15, which are fastened near the middle of legs A, Fig. 9, or are attached higher up on the legs when it is desired that the desk or central member should be higher.

The angle-brace just described may be changed for the one shown in Fig. 12, which may be fastened in .the same places on the desk, the end with the long opening or slot L projecting downward, and instead of the socket M just described the thumb-screw bolt E will be passed through the legs A. By passing the openings L underneath the head of the bolts E, Fig. 10, (and if necessary tightening the thumb-nut,) the slight flange on the edges of the angle-braces will be pressed either side of the leg A, and the booth will stand just as strong as by the use of the sockets M and will be a few cents cheaper in cost. Another way of using these angle-braces I is to fasten two of them to the legs A, the ends with the slots L parallel to each other and far enough apart to receive the end of the cleat 0 between them, when with the thumb-screw bolts E in place in the holes H, Fig. 5, the bolts will be received by the slots L, when the The ends of 1 cleats C are pushed between the braces, and by tightening the thumb-nuts the frame will stand firm.

The covering K is made of canvas or sheeting or other suitable flexible material. This covering K in the present form of my invention is suspended from the upper portion of the frame, but whether suspended or otherwise secured on the frame'forms the stationary walls as well as the swinging wall or door. Preferably one vertical marginal portion of the covering laps over the front. of one of the front corner-uprights, and the opposite marginal door-forming portion of the covering suspended from the swinging bar or door carrier closes against or into contact with the narrow flap or in such proximity to its upright as to completely close the door-space between the front uprights; but the narrow flap is not essential to my invention, the important point being to hang the swinging door-forming lap of the covering so as to close the door tightly when the voter is in the booth. At one edge and part way down one side of covering K are attached-a series of suitable wire hooks. (See Fig. 16.) The hooks preferably used are made specially for this purpose and have at one end a round eye transverse to the plane of the hook. The other end may be bent out slightly just at the point and cutoff or formed into a very small loop, as shown in the drawings, by doubling the wire back upon itself. These hooks are fastened to the canvas by a common eyelet passed throu'ghthe eye of the hook and the canvas and clenched over a washer on the under side.

The swinging rod or door carrier V used to support the canvas in front to swing it out as a door is of sufficient length to extend entirelyacross the door-aperture from its pivotal point to the narrow flap and is formed with a small hole at the outer end and a brace near the other end. Portions of the brace and rod are formed downward at right angles to the rod, Fig. 6. A small lateral V-shaped bend is made in the rod near the right-angled end (or a hole will answer) to keep the hook J (if a hook and spring are used) from sliding on the rod. The swinging iron is detachably-attached to the frame-by screw-eyes or staples Z, driven into one of the legs near its upper end. The hook J is attached to a common spring-hinge, which is fastened to the leg, so that the hook J will intersect the V- bend in the swinging rod and act to pull the bar shut, (see Fig.l9;) or by placing its screw eyes at the opposite edges of the leg, as shown in Fig. 18, the bar V will hang square across the booth when closed, but when opened will rise several inches at its outer end, so it will swing shut when released, thus dispensing with the spring. A staple or screw-eye is inserted in the lowerside of the desk, as at Z, Figs. 3 and 4, to assist in holding the swinging rod when the booth is packed.

To prevent the carelesss loss of or displacement of some of the legs, the rope or chain P,

Figs. 1 and 11, may be attached to or through each leg to keep them in sets. The straps R R may be fastened to the under side of the desk D to hold the parts together in packing, handling, and shipping the booths.

The operation will be readily understood from the foregoing. The covering is suspended in part from the frame, preferably by being hooked to the circuit or frame S, except in front, where it is hooked or otherwise suspended to the swinging rod or door carrier V. The hook being in the hole at the end of the rod, the other end of the covering is wrapped around the leg at the left of the door and hooked, as shown in Fig. 1, or is allowed to hang loosely in front of the leg. The cleats 0, preferably supporting the table D, are tied together, in this instance by the table, although they may be connected by any suitable cross member, and the cleats and transverse table form a cross-tie frame which holds the uprights in position at a distance-apart between the ends of the uprights, and what I have called the circuit S forms acrosstie frame for the-upper portions of the uprights. These cross tie frames of the described or other suitable construction with the uprights formone of many possible forms of knockdown frames for portable booths or tents embodying the broader features of my invention.

The greatimportance of my invention, most broadly considered, lies in the fact that one integral piece of fabric is used to form not only the walls of the booth or tent, butin connection with the swinging-door carrier also the swinging door of the booth. I am the first, so far as known to-me, to use acovering which not only forms these stationary walls, but also forms a swinging door, and the practical importance of this feature of my invention lies in the ease and speed with which the covering is handled and also the ease and facility with which it is folded for storage and the security against loss during the intervals between elections, when the booths are stored. The fact that the door of my new booth is a portionof the hanging or covering keepsthe booth closed at the hinge of the door, and the construction makes it easy to form the door-carrier and to hang the door-forming portionof the covering in such wise that the booth is made tight along the free edge of the door when the door is closed.

My invention is not limited to the exact form, constructiomand arrangement of the various parts, and I therefore reserve the right to make all such alterations therein an dmodifications thereof as fairly come within the scope of the invention. I'have described my preferred form with great minuteness, so as to make perfectly clear its construction, and not because I intend to limit my invention to details of construction. I prefer to .hang the covering on the top frame or circuit and on the swinging-door carrier by means of hooks to those parts; but any other suitable fastening devices may be used, and the carrier may be fastened to the frame at any desired point.

WVhat I claim is- 1. A booth, comprising suitable uprights, a frame detachably connected with said uprights at the top thereof, and serving to retain said uprights in proper relative position, a swinging-door carrier connected with one of said uprights, afiexible covering inclosing the sides and back of said booth, and detachably suspended from said frame, one edge of said covering being provided with an integral extension which forms a door, said door being detachably suspended from said door-carrier, and the outer edge of said door being secured to the door-carrier at or near the free end thereof, substantially as shown and described.

2. A booth, comprising suitable uprights, a frame detachably connected with said uprights at the top thereof, and serving to retain said uprights in proper relative position, a detachable swin gin g-door carrier connected with one of said upright-s, a flexible covering inclosing the sides and back of said booth, and detachably suspended from said frame, one edge of said covering being provided with an extension which forms a door, said door being detachably suspended from said door-carrier, and the outer edge of said door being secured to the 'door-carrier at or near the free end thereof, said uprights being also provided with detachable shelf-supports, and a shelf mounted thereon within said booth, substantially as shown and described.

3. A booth, comprising suitable uprights, a removable top frame for connecting the upper ends of said uprights, a cross-tie frame removably attached to the uprights between the lower and upper ends thereof, a swingingdoor carrier detachably connected with one of the uprights, a flexible covering inclosing two sides and the back of said booth and detachably suspended from the top frame, said covering being provided at one edge thereof with an integral extension forming a door which is detachably suspended from the doorcarrier, substantially as shown and described.

4. A booth, comprising suitable uprights, a removable top frame forconnectingthe upper ends of said uprights, a cross-tie frame remova'bly attached to the uprights, between the lower and upper ends thereof, a swingingdoor carrier detachably connected with one of the uprights, a flexible covering inclosing two sides and the back of said booth and detachably suspended from the top frame, said covering being provided at one edge thereof with an extension forming a door which is detachabl y suspended from the door-carrier, and detachable shelf-supports connected with said uprights and provided witha shelf which is mounted thereon with the booth, substantially as shown and described.

5. A booth, comprising suitable uprights, a detachable top frame for holding the upper ends of said uprights in position, a swingingdoor carrier detachably connected with one of said uprights, aflexible covering inclosing two sides and the back of said booth, and provided with hooks by which it is detachably suspended from the topframe, said cov= erin g being also provided at one edge with an extension forming a door which is provided with hooks by which it is detachably suspended from the door-carrier, said uprights being also provided with a flexible connec tion between the upper and the lower ends thereof, and detachable shelf-supports con= nected with said uprights, and a shelf mount ed thereon within the booth, substantially as shown and described.

6. In a tent or booth, a door comprising a bar or rod of iron or steel having a brace welded thereto and angling diagonallythere from, and having a portion of each formed at a right angle to said bar and constituting pivots thereon; suitable eyes or staples for the pivots to support the bar horizontally at the top of an opening; a spring-hinge having a hook adapted to engage the said bar and to pull it back whenever the bar is swung out and released.

7. A portable booth, comprising a frame, composed of separate detachable parts and provided with a swinging-door carrier, said frame being also provided with a flexible covering for two sides and the back thereof, which is detachably suspended from the top thereof, and provided at one side or edge with an integral extension forming a door which is detachably suspended from said door-carrier, substantially as shown and described.

8. A portable booth, comprising a frame, composed of separate detachable parts and provided with a swinging-door carrier, said frame being also provided with a flexible covering for two sides and the back thereof, which is detachably suspended from the top thereof, and provided at one side or edge with an integral extension forming a door which is detachably suspended from said door-carrier, and means for operating or swinging said door-carrier, substantially as shown and described.

9. Abooth, composed of suitable uprights, a detachable top frame for connecting the upper ends of said uprights, a swinging-door carrier detachably connected with one of said uprights and provided with an eye in the free end thereof, an integral flexible covering for the two sides and the back of said booth, said covering being detachably suspended from the top frame, and said covering being also provided at one edge or side thereof with an integral extension forming a door which is detachably suspended from said doorcarrier, and the outer edge of which is connected with the eye in the free end of the door-carrier, and means for closing said door, substantially as shown and described.

JUAN ERNEST.

Witnesses:

FANNA MCDOWELL, HARRY GARRISON. 

